The New Evangelization

For several decades, Catholic leaders have been calling for a “new evangelization” or “re-evangelization of the baptized.” Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have emphasized that such evangelization will lead to renewal within the Church and the transformation of our culture.

In recent years, a number of organizations have been formed in order to respond to this call. These groups are engaged effectively in evangelizing one sector of the Church or of society. In doing this, they offer a tremendous service to the Church as they are leading people into a deeper union with Christ.

While these ministries and communities are a gift from God, little attention has been paid to forming the general laity so that they can be engaged in evangelization. Many well-evangelized Catholics have little understanding of what evangelization is, why they should be engaged in it, and how they might do it effectively.

Mission of the Redeemer Ministries

In 2008 Michael Dopp and Linda Smith, responding to the call that God had placed in their hearts, founded Mission of the Redeemer Ministries. Their desire to see Christ proclaimed was married with the realization that many Catholics had never been shown how to share the faith. This led them to begin a ministry which would prepare Catholics for this noble task.

MRM is based in Ottawa, Canada with the generous support of Archbishop Terrence Prendergast. It is a non-profit corporation and enjoys Charity Status. Since the founding of MRM, has reached thousands of people in dozens of dioceses across Canada and the U.S.A..

Michael and Linda Dopp

Michael graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with Bachelor degrees in Business Administration (BBA) and Philosophy (BA), St. Augustine’s at the University of Toronto with a Bachelor in Theology (STB) and Master of Divinity (MDiv), and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Michigan with a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) with a concentration on the new evangelization. Michael has been involved in a variety of ministries dedicated to evangelization and has been involved in mission projects in Europe, Africa, and North America.

Linda Smith graduated from Queens university with a degree in Engineering Physics (BASc), the University of Toronto with a Masters in Biomedical Engineering (MASc), and Regis College at the University of Toronto with a Master of Arts in Theology (MA). Linda is also a FertilityCare Practitioner. She is deeply committed to renewal within the Catholic Church and desires to see many Catholics take up the noble vocation of being evangelists.

Michael and Linda were married in the winter of 2008 and Therese Marie was born in the spring of 2013.